Rosalie ⎮ Tom Riddle

Six

Lurking Shadows

  Rose found herself on a slightly chilly day in the warmth of her favourite field. The grass had grown longer since the last moment she had been in it, and she had welcomed the growth happily, finding the green a soft pillow for her head as she lay back on it.

  The book she held above her head today however, was different from the one she had last read. The dark cover was the main attraction of the show, bones and other terrifying symbols littered the front and back of it, giving anyone a good idea of what was inside of the book.

  The lines told her things that no witch or wizard would ever care to hear about in their lifetime. But to Rosalie, it was her interest of every waking moment. She couldn't give an exact reason as to what drew her to the subject so intensely, or why she would read dark runes instructing on how you could kill and torture in different ways and hate against the people that listened and had done it.

  Rose thought she was different to Tom. Reading about doing horrible things, imagining them and learning about them, was vastly different to actually committing these acts.

  Sometimes she wondered what it would be like to turn the tables on him. If she were the one to torture and kill him, use the Cruciatus curse on him like he had her. It was only a dream though, one she would never dear to act on. It was morally wrong.

  The picture of Tom in pain and squirming under her stayed in her mind.

  It was morally wrong, Rosalie.

  She shook her head until the idea left her head. The bitter taste of hatred on her tongue. She would never do that to a person, even a person like Tom. Rose closed the book and threw it to the side of herself, allowing herself to be fully immersed in the nature around her.

  "Rose." A familiar voice called out from behind her. She tilted her head back and looked up at Coriolanus standing above her.

  "Hey. What brings you out here?" Rosalie twisted herself so she lay on her front. Corio squatted down to a closer height to her.

  "I just felt like seeing you." He said sweetly, less needy than he usually was. Rose smiled softly, feeling a bit sorry for him.

  "Well, happy to be of service." Rose shrugged her shoulders. 

  Coriolanus smiled and moved himself so he sat next to her. Rosalie turned again and sat up in the same direction. Corio played with the grass in his hands, admiring the view of the forest, castle and lake.

  "I see why you come here so often." He said without looking at her. Rosalie nodded in response.

  "It's beautiful, like you." He continued, awkwardly. 

  Rose couldn't help but roll her eyes, not going unnoticed by Coriolanus. He admired her closely, uncaring if she didn't feel the same way that he did. Rosalie knew she had to say something about the tragically sad situation.

  "We're not fifteen anymore Corio... that summer we had was a long time ago." Rosalie thought of that very summer fondly, with memories remiss of Coriolanus's true affection for the girl.

  His hand snaked itself off of his own body and onto Rosalie's knee, she looked at it and then back to his boldness. 

  "Don't you remember how we would sneak off after lunch into the maze and run around until we found each other?" Corio spoke romantically, softly caressing Rosalie's skin. She found herself melting under his touch like she had when she was fifteen.